A Tale of Two Cities: Resurrection

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A Tale of Two Cities: Resurrection

         It is Rig Veda who once said, “resurrection is an inevitable theme found throughout the plot of A Tale of Two Cities.  Many of the characters in the novel are involved with the interlocking themes of love, redemption, and good versus evil.  The theme of resurrection involves certain aspects of all of these themes and thus, brings the story together.

The first of many to experience resurrection in A Tale of Two Cities is Dr. Manette.  After being taken away from his pregnant wife, he is then imprisoned for eighteen devastating years. Over the course of these years, his sanity deteriorates to the point where he forgets his real name and mindlessly makes shoes to pass the time.  In "Book the First", he is released by the French government and then put in the care of Monsieur Defarge.  He is then suddenly "recalled to life" (19, 35).   However, his rebirth has just begun and does not become complete until he is reunited with his daughter; Lucie Manette.  

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In "Book the Second—the Golden Thread," the theme of resurrection begins to appear seldom as the book ends. At the start of this book, Charles Darnay, a young French noble of the Evrémonde family, is on trial for treason in England.  He is accused of being a spy due to his time spent traveling back and forth between France and England. As he is being prosecuted, the people of the courtroom are almost positive that he will be found guilty and sentenced to death. However, Darnay is saved by the ingeniousness of Sydney Carton, and he too is suddenly resurrected ...

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